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Sky Racing News' Andrew Bensley presents all the latest news from the world of racing.

Fox Sports

19 Jun 2014

Sport/Horse Racing

The Queen and Prince Philip attend the second day of the Royal Acot carnival in England.Source: Getty Images

GAI Waterhouse was due to meet with Queen Elizabeth overnight at Royal Ascot to discuss the spring carnival assault for Carlton House.

There were no Australian horses involved in the week-long popular English meeting this year, but Waterhouse and her bookmaker husband Robbie made sure they represented Down Under as they rubbed shoulders with some of the biggest names in international racing.

While Her Majesty would have been keen to know about her horse Carlton House, Waterhouse was just as keen to keep an eye on her new stable addition Cafe Society, who runs on Friday night in the Wolferton Handicap (2000m).

Carlton House will be set for the Cox Plate and Mackinnon Stakes during the spring carnival.Source: News Corp Australia

Waterhouse attended an exclusive sale in the grounds of Kensington Palace on Monday and splurged $600,000 on one of the horses she hopes can deliver her a second successive Melbourne Cup.

“Rob liked him last year, but he wasn’t for sale,’’ Waterhouse told The Daily Telegraph from Ascot.

“We thought he was the horse of the sale, and since we’ve bought him, we’ve had about 20 people come up and tell us just that.

“You’ll see him in the spring. He’ll race here and then go straight into quarantine.

“That’s what you buy them for (the Melbourne Cup). There is a long way to go between now and the Cup, and as long as you get one horse there, that’s the most important thing.’’

Fellow Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Mike Moroney ended up being the underbidder on Cafe Society, a stayer with two wins and three placings from seven starts.

It was Moroney who secured Fiorente for “24 hours’’ in 2012, only to get trumped by a bigger offer from Waterhouse and win last year’s Cup with him.

Waterhouse’s Fiorente was bought abroad, while more and more Aussies are looking to Europe in their pursuit of the big staying features.

Waterhouse said of the royal catch-up with the Queen: “I’ll meet with Her Majesty on Saturday and talk about her horse. I don’t get (nervous), she’s a racing lady, she loves her racing and loves being informed.

“I’d like to think the Cox Plate and Mackinnon Stakes would be perfect goals for Carlton House.’’

Queen Elizabeth II waits for the start of the first race on the second day of the Royal Ascot meeting.Source: AFP

The spring is already shaping up as a bumper one for Waterhouse, who has Carlton House, Cafe Society, current Cup favourite The Offer, and Caulfield Guineas hope Almalad. There’s also Diamond Drille, and Golden Slipper winner Overreach, who hasn’t raced in more than a year.

In the meantime, Waterhouse can rack up her seventh Group 1 of the season if Cosmic Endeavour or Driefontein wins Saturday’s Tatt’s Tiara (1400m) at Eagle Farm.

The pair ran one-two in the Dane Ripper Stakes a fortnight ago, and Waterhouse said there was no reason they couldn’t repeat the effort at Eagle Farm.

“I could even see Driefontein turning the tables on Cosmic Endeavour because she’s going so well and is such an honest mare,’’ said Waterhouse, in reference to one of five individual Group 1s winners she’s prepared this season.

Waterhouse said she loved the annual trip to Ascot, and had bumped into the likes of Hong Kong trainer John Moore and his brother Gary Moore, who will begin training at Rosehill in the new season.

Choisir with jockey Jonny Murtagh aboard take out the 2003 King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.Source: AP

The fact no Australian horse ran in the King’s Stand Stakes on Tuesday — the sprint that has been won by Choisir (2003), Takeover Target (2006), Miss Andretti (2007) and Scenic Blast (2009) — had an impact on turnover, with the TAB noting just $125,000 was invested on the King’s Stand meeting — half of what was traded last year when Danny O’Brien’s Shamexpress finished ninth.

Chris Waller’s $20 million colt Zoustar was meant to run in the King’s Stand, and was even posted as an early favourite with some bookies, only to go amiss and be retired to stud.

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